What's new
Mastiff Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • Welcome back!

    We decided to spruce things up and fix some things under the hood. If you notice any issues, feel free to contact us as we're sure there are a few things here or there that we might have missed in our upgrade.

Slow to mature - share your experiences

I3rendanG

Well-Known Member
Hoping some of you dog lovers would share your stories on your mastiffs maturation rates.

It appears to be common knowledge that adolescence starts around 18mo with full blown maturity expected around 3.

Those who have taken their dogs through these life stages are particularly encouraged to apply.

I have a 12 year old female Giant Schnauzer and 17mo mastiff cross.

She runs the roost, but he's starting to take her less seriously; as well as becoming defensive/possessive of her at the dog park

- so much so that he disciplines other dogs harshly when they mount her, not even giving her a chance to correct them herself (she does not take mounting lightly and gives fair and appropriate corrections). If he hears she's in distress He's flying outta nowhere to handle it.

We now leave the older female at home or ensure they don't get the opportunity to interact with other dogs (decreasing likelihood of mounting)

I remember her really coming into her own socially around 3. HBIC at the dog park, newfound rank aggression towards strangers, and defensive behaviors.

I have a number of friends with various mastiff types who are saying much of the same, that socially around 3 their dogs are very different. Much more serious. Less social. Ect.

Just looking to plan around and learn from your experiences.

How have your dogs changed with the onset of adulthood?
What have you noticed when they begun to experience puberty?

fcec3c78a928a73636d332fb0eb18fb2.jpg


A picture of the duo last September.
If you look closely he was in the middle of shedding his puppy coat at 12mo old!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Elana P

Well-Known Member
Hoping some of you dog lovers would share your stories on your mastiffs maturation rates.

It appears to be common knowledge that adolescence starts around 18mo with full blown maturity expected around 3.

Those who have taken their dogs through these life stages are particularly encouraged to apply.

I have a 12 year old female Giant Schnauzer and 17mo mastiff cross.

She runs the roost, but he's starting to take her less seriously; as well as becoming defensive/possessive of her at the dog park

- so much so that he disciplines other dogs harshly when they mount her, not even giving her a chance to correct them herself (she does not take mounting lightly and gives fair and appropriate corrections). If he hears she's in distress He's flying outta nowhere to handle it.

We now leave the older female at home or ensure they don't get the opportunity to interact with other dogs (decreasing likelihood of mounting)

I remember her really coming into her own socially around 3. HBIC at the dog park, newfound rank aggression towards strangers, and defensive behaviors.

I have a number of friends with various mastiff types who are saying much of the same, that socially around 3 their dogs are very different. Much more serious. Less social. Ect.

Just looking to plan around and learn from your experiences.

How have your dogs changed with the onset of adulthood?
What have you noticed when they begun to experience puberty?

fcec3c78a928a73636d332fb0eb18fb2.jpg


A picture of the duo last September.
If you look closely he was in the middle of shedding his puppy coat at 12mo old!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Elana P

Well-Known Member
20170105_121012.jpg Hello,

Beautiful pups. What kind of a mixture is your handsome boy?

I have 3 dogs in the household.
A 12 year old, Shepherd/Husky/Something Something Mix (Danny)
A 6 year old JRT/Japanese Chin cross (Katy)
And a 5 1/2 month old Boerboel/Bullmastiff cross (Charlie).

Our Charlie boy, is already showing protection instinct in the dog park towards his big little sister Katy, but then she's the same when it comes to him (I think she figures he's her baby o_O).

I have noticed this for a while now, that he keeps a very close eye on other dogs, and if Katy becomes irritated with any dog for whatever the reason, Charlie is all over this dog. So much so in fact, that I've had to put Katy on leash on occasion, to keep Charlie out of trouble, and allow him to interact and socialize with other dogs on his own.

By the way, why are so many dogs attempting to mount your girl at her age? This usually leads to nothing but trouble, as most gals really hate it unless they're not fixed and in heat.

Here are Charlie and Katy...
 

I3rendanG

Well-Known Member
She must smell really good to the boys. She's spayed. Been spayed. But she's irresistible.

She hates being mounted and gives pretty harsh corrections but I think she's also a little bit of a tease.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Elana P

Well-Known Member
She must smell really good to the boys. She's spayed. Been spayed. But she's irresistible.

She hates being mounted and gives pretty harsh corrections but I think she's also a little bit of a tease.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Smokeycat

Well-Known Member
Kryten is a 5 year old English Mastiff. There have been a few times when his temperment had noticeable changes. The first was at 8 months. He became more independent in deciding what he wanted to do and when. At the same time he began to increased attention to the world around him.
The second time was between 16 monthd and 2 years. This might have been partially because his lifestyle (and mine) was dramatically changed when he had major elbow surgery (he has Elbow Dysplasia).
The biggest change did come in the fall and winter around his 3rd Birthday. It was triggered by a small group of kids that were entering the yard (despite being told not to) to pick apples from the tree. Kryten took great offence to the intrusion into his yard. It took several weeks for me to discover what the kids were doing (they would wait until the car was gone) and by that time he developed a great dislike for those kids despite the fact that he had enjoyed their company before. Over the winter he decided that all school age kids were untrustworthy. I no longer allow interactions as they stress him out now although he is no longer reactive at the sight of one.

On a side note I would like a Giant Schnauzer (such a pretty dog) but I've read too many reports of high prey drive to risk the cats.
 

I3rendanG

Well-Known Member
Thanks for that run down. We're the kids tormenting your boy?

And the giant is a lot of dog.
Not so much size size 80-110lbs is pretty standard. But the activity and intensity level in these dogs. Not quite Mals. But up there.

It is very much a hyper active and driven terrier in a larger body.

She didn't manage to develop an on off switch until about 6. They need ALOT of exercise to be calm and sociable. In some ways they are harder to manage than a mastiff.

But give any dog what they need and understand them for what they are and they can become wonderful companions.

She was a cat killer in her prime.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Smokeycat

Well-Known Member
As far as I could find out all they were doing was entering, picking some apples and leaving. But I never saw the whole thing. The time I found out I was outside with the dogs around the corner of the house unseen when the gate opened. They shut the gate and took off when they saw the dogs coming at them. What I know is from when I talked to one and her father the next day.
 

Elana P

Well-Known Member
As far as I could find out all they were doing was entering, picking some apples and leaving. But I never saw the whole thing. The time I found out I was outside with the dogs around the corner of the house unseen when the gate opened. They shut the gate and took off when they saw the dogs coming at them. What I know is from when I talked to one and her father the next day.


This can become a dangerous situation, if these kids pop into the yard, not knowing the pup is out.

We had a similar situation many years ago, with our big Dobermann boy. Our neighbour's kid used to tease him and throw stuff at him when he was in the back yard, until we found out about it and put a stop to it.

Some four or five years later, while my Mom was walking the Dobbie, they came across the same 'kid' (now grown over six foot tall and some 200 lbs). The Dobbie, took a flying leap at him, knocked him flat on his back in the snow, and was snarling right into his face.

Luckily our Dobbie was not what you would call really aggressive, and let him up after a minute or so, but that just goes to show, that they don't forget.

I would recommend putting a lock on that gate.
 

Smokeycat

Well-Known Member
This can become a dangerous situation, if these kids pop into the yard, not knowing the pup is out.

We had a similar situation many years ago, with our big Dobermann boy. Our neighbour's kid used to tease him and throw stuff at him when he was in the back yard, until we found out about it and put a stop to it.

Some four or five years later, while my Mom was walking the Dobbie, they came across the same 'kid' (now grown over six foot tall and some 200 lbs). The Dobbie, took a flying leap at him, knocked him flat on his back in the snow, and was snarling right into his face.

Luckily our Dobbie was not what you would call really aggressive, and let him up after a minute or so, but that just goes to show, that they don't forget.

I would recommend putting a lock on that gate.
Thankfully all 3 kids got the message. I don't know if it was the sight of 200+ coming full speed, barking at them or their parents reaction (the eldest's father was furious at her) but all of them apologized. Last year they never even asked if they could have the apples that overhung the fence. He still sees them on a regular basis as they all walk passed the yard to get to their business stops. He just watches them like he does everyone going by, no more no less. I am greatful nothing serious happened to the kids.
Unfortunately the gate in question cannot be locked because of city ordinances but the dogs never remain outside unsupervised and normally I can see the whole yard from where I am.
 

Hector

Well-Known Member
I noticed Hector at 4 and lately around 4.5, he's faster to fly off the handle when it comes to guarding. He's very under control in public, but he seems to take his guarding much more seriously.
 

CeeCee

Well-Known Member
I have a now 5 year old English Mastiff. When I adopted him from the shelter at around 5 months old, I took him to day care twice a week (not a typical day care - 2 acres outdoors, most the day is spent outside running, playing with toys and friends, and lazing in the sun). For the first two years he loved it! He played with everyone. He loved to be in the all the action. He would race around with his friends and let them crawl on him and chew on him to their hearts content. Around two and half years old, the day care owners noticed that Zeek would take some time during the day and separate himself from the group. At first it was a few times a day and then it began to increase in frequency. During these times he preferred to lay under a tree away from the group and just watch the action. He would only take up the invitation to play from a handful of friends. His circle of friends went from about 10 to 2.

He also began to get reactive when going into the day care - especially if multiple dogs greeted him all at once - dogs he had known his entire life with me.

Around three years old, he let it be known that he was no longer interested in hanging out with a large pack of dogs. (There are about 20 dogs in day care on any given day.) His reactions were explosive and out of proportion to the dog's "offense." Even when he was not in day care he seemed to be a little edgy and his patience was shorter. So I took him out.

After about two weeks of not going to day care, he let go of that edginess and he is back to having the patience of a saint. Today, as an adult, the only dogs he will react to are the really cocky (high tail, forward body, cock of the walk dogs) and the really spastic/frantic dogs. The cocky dogs he will allow to greet him, but if they spend more than 5 seconds sniffing his boy parts, he will take exception. The spastic ones he won't even let into his space.

Last summer, I brought a third dog into our pack(at the time a 4-6 month old puppy) and he has been so very patient and appropriate with her puppy silliness and now adolescent ... well you all know the crazy the teenage years bring. :)
 

Siloh

Well-Known Member
I can't guarantee Hamlet's mastiff ancestry, because I'm his second owner and he's a cross, but I'll say that he hit about 3.5 years old and suddenly became the dog I always knew he could be. His energy dropped remarkably, became more controlled/controllable, and his listening skills suddenly came back from wherever they went when he was 9 months. :D He still reminds me of a 7-year-old in the midst of a wild birthday party sometimes, but overall, he's way more self-possessed and laid back.

Unfortunately I still don't like him interacting with kids, because his tail is eternally wagging with enough force to bruise the toughest of shins.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk